Carlos Ayesta’s Photographs Highlight the Fear and Uncertainty of the Fukushima Aftermath

Although the Fukushima nuclear disaster happened in March of 2011, the plant's radioactive wreckage is still very much on the minds of residents. Fears about radiation poisoning linger as crews continue their cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. French artists Carlos Ayesta and Guillaume Bression traveled to the most contaminated parts of Fukushima and documented the plight of residents with a series of haunting photographs. Their images depict how everyday life is shrouded in uncertainty about what is safe and what isn't.

Ayesta and Guillaume traveled to areas of Fukushima that are still off-limits today for fear of radiation poisoning. They went to dead zones that hold the most brutal traces of the nuclear accident. There, they were able to capture some of the most desolate landscapes as a background to show the palpable fear that people in the area continue to live with.

The artists used props like bubbles and plastic wrap to highlight that even the most cheerful places under normal circumstances, like playgrounds, have become sites of possible danger. They depict things like traditional Japanese cherry blossom trees wrapped in plastic, businessmen in bubbles and women wearing gas masks. These elements symbolize that the residents of Fukushima are living their lives in continuous fear and uncertainty of what is polluted and what is safe, as there is no conclusive way of finding out until it’s too late.